"...That ye may stand as witnesses..."

I was reading in Mosiah 24 this morning and thinking about trials and covenants. We often wonder why those followers of Christ are made to pass through trials when they seem "undeserved."  Mosiah 24:13-14 opened my view a little bit.  It says,

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying:  Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions."

Sometimes we are allowed to experience trying things so that we may gain testimony of God's covenants, giving us an unshakeable testimony of God's watchful care in the future. We experience trial in part so that we may see God's promises in action, coming to our aid when we desperately need it. This is an active gospel that requires application, trust, humility and faith. I know that the Lord is watching over our small family and I'm grateful for the temple that allows us to make sacred, saving covenants.